Automatic waste-gate.



NITED TATES PATENT AUTOMATIC WASTEeGATE.

SPECIFICATION forming ypart of Letters-Patent No. 635,206, dated October1*?, 1899.

Application filed May 25, 1899. Serial No. 718,219. (No model.)

T0 'ca ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM THOMAS TAY- LOR, of Evans, in the county ofWeld and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved AutomaticWaste-Gat'e, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in waste-gates to be used forrelieving surplus water in ilumes and ditches, and thus to prevent themoverowing their banks and causing damage to the ditch and otherproperty.

My invention comprises novel features, which will be hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specication, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective View showing my device in place alongside of aditch. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken upon the line 2 2 of Fig.3. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the gate. Figs. 4cand 5 are cross-sectional and longitudinal elevations of aslightly-modified form of the gate, the gate being shown open in Fig. 5.Fig. 6 is a sectional plan showing the gate closed, taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of amodified construction.

In flumes and ditches used for mining or irrigating purposes it oftenhappens that the supply of water is greatly increased or the consumptionis greatly reduced, so that the ditch will fill and overow its banks,washing away the bank of the ditch and doing damage to other property.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic waste-gate whichwill let olf the water from the ditch When the water has reached adangerous level. With this end in view a box or 'fiume A is inserted inone bank of the ditch at a convenient point where the water may bedischarged without causing any damage. This box is provided at the endnext to the ditch with a head-gate B of any desired kind or usualconstruction, by which the box may be connected with the ditch or cutoff therefrom, as desired. At the other end of the box is placed theautomatic gate and the mechanism for operating the same.

In the form shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3 a bottom cleat or cheek a2 isprovided and two end shape of the opening within said cleats, so

that if the gate is raised a short distance it will clear the cleats orcheeks and will then be forced outward by the pressure of the waterbehind it.

The gate is hinged at its upper edge by means of hinges f to a cross baror beam F', which is secured to or formed as a part of the pivotedreservoir or bucket E. This bucket is provided with a pivot F,supporting it upon the sides of the flume or box A. The bottom of thisbucket slopes from its flume end outwardly and downwardly, thus forminga reservoir or bucket of considerable size, the greatest depth,therefore, being at the end farthest from the pivot. The level of theinner or receiving end of this bucket corresponds with the maximumdesired level of the water in the fiume or ditch.

Vhen the device is put into use, the gate D is forced downwardly andinto engagement with the forward surface of the cheeks or cleats, inwhich place it is held by having the gate counterweighted, if necessary,soy as to balance the ordinary weight of the reservoir or bucket E. Theouter end of the bucketE is provided with small drainage-openings c, sothat any water which may enter the bucket by rain or in very smallquantities maydrain out without causing the gate to open, and so thatwhen the gate has been opened by overiiow of water the bucket may emptyitself ready to be replaced.

When the automatic or safety gate D has been placed. in position, thehead-gate B is opened, s o as to admit water to the box or ume A. Solong as the water in thisbox does not rise above the upper edge of thebucket E the gate remains inoperative. As soon as the water rises abovethis level it flows into the bucket E and fills the same, thus largelyincreasing the weight of the IOO e v l 635,206

bucket and causing it to lift the gate D until it clears the cleats orcheeks a and a2. As soon as it is clear of the cleats the pressure ofwater forces the gate outward and the water is allowed to escape fromthe flume. It is thus impossible for the water in the iin me or ditch torise above the danger-point when this device is set for operation.

In Figs. i and 5 a slightly-modified form of the gate is shown. In thisform the end cleats a are parallel with the side of the box or fiume,and the gate D is provided with hinged sections D2 at each end, whichengage the cleats c. To free this gate it is necessary to lift it sothat it will clear the lower cleat CL2, when the gate will be forcedoutward by the pressure of the water, the hinged sections D2 swinginginward to pass the cleats a.

In Fig. 7 another form ofthe gate is shown. In this case the gate D3 ismade solid, reaching entirely across the box and does not swing betweenthe cleats a or over the cleat a2. The gate is provided with rollers orwheels G, which engage the end cleats a, and is also provided withatoothed or ratchet bar G, which is engaged by pawls g to hold the gatein its raised position. In this form of gate the gate is raised by thereservoir or bucket E and the gate is held in its raised position bymeans of the pawls g, which engage the ratchet-teeth upon the bar G',The ratchetbar G and pawls g may be omitted or fastened temporarily sothat they are inoperative, in which case the gate will be raised by thewater owing over the upper edge thereof and into the bucket or reservoirE and will not be lowered until the water is drained out of the box. If,however, the water in the ditch or fiume maintains an excessive level,the water will immediately How over the upper edge ofthe gate and fillthe bucket E, causing the gate to be again raised. This device may thusbe made automatic both in its opening and closing, as the gate D3 wouldbe made of such a weight that it will raise the bucket E when the sameis free of the water. It will be noticed that when the gate is down therollers G (shown in Fig. 7) rest in notches in the cleats or cheeks a.This will cause a certain amount of initial resistance to the raising ofthe gate; but when this is overcome the gate will be fully raised atonce. lVhile the rollers rest in the notches the gate is renderedwatertight. If the notches were not provided, the gate might rise alittle distance when the bucket E'has received only a comparativelysmall amount of water and remain in such position by pressure against itand'not give free outlet of water from the ditch.

A device may be applied by which the `:rate may be readily raised whendesired. The gate may be replaced at any time after the water hasdrainedfrom the bucketE by first lowering the head-check in the flume to cutoff the flow of water.

In the case of large heavy gates they may be brought to place again bythe device shown in Fig. 7 and consisting of a chain or rope H, securedto the outer end of the bucket and which passes over the arm H', securedto the bucket, and then over a pulley 7L, supported upon a framework h.The arm H' acts as a crank-arm for better application of power, and thechain may be attached to a windlass or directly engaged by the hand.

When the gate is replaced, the head-check in the flume is again raisedto the desired hei ght,and the gate then stands ready to drain the ditchwhenever emergency calls for it. The use of my device will prevent thewater in ditches or flumes from reaching the danger-level,and thus keepthe banks of the ditch from being washed away;

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A waste-gate for ditches and flumes, coinprising agate formed in two parts, an upper cross-bar and a main section hingedto the cross-bar and releasable by lifting slightly, and a pivotedreservoir or bucket secured to said cross-bar to lift the gate andhaving its inlet at the maximum desired water-level, substantially asdescribed. l

2. A waste device for ditches and Humes, comprising a box having ahead-gate connecting with the ditch or fiume and a safety-gate beyondthe head gate and relea'sable by slightly lifting, said safety-gatebeing composed of two sections, consisting of an upper cross-bar and amain section hinged thereto, anda pivoted reservoi'r orbucket secured tosaid cross-bar and having its inlet at the maximum desired water-level,substantially as described.

3. A waste device for ditches and Iiumes, comprising a safety-gatebearing at its lower edge against a fixed cleat and having a crossbarhinged to its upper edge, and a pivoted reservoir or bucket secured tosaid crossbar, the reservoir having its inlet at the maximum desiredwater-level, substantially as described.

4. A waste device for ditches and flumes, comprising a gate releasableby lifting slightly and composed of two sections, a cross-bar and a mainsection hinged to and depending from the cross-bar, and a pivotedreservoir or bucket secured to said cross-bar to lift the gate, thebucket receiving the overflow of said gate, said bucket also havingdrainage-openings, substantially as described.

5. A waste device for ditches and flumes, comprising a safety-gateprovided with means for tripping and opening the same operated bylifting the gate and composed of an upper cross-bar and a main sectionhinged thereto by its upper edge, and a p ivoted reservoir or bucketconnected with said cross-bar to lift the gate, the bucket receiving theoverliow of said gate, and also having drainage-openin gs, substantiallyas described.

G. A waste device for ditches and iumes,

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comprising a boX having a head-gate, cheeks gate to raise it, the inietfor said bucket being for a safety-gate located beyond the head-gateover the top of the cross-bar, substantially as 1o and a safety-gatebearing against said cheeks described.

and releasable therefrom when slightly raised, 5 said gate consisting ofa cross-bar:a at its upper VILLAM THOMAS TAYLOR' edge and a main sectionhinged to and de- Witnesses: pending from said cross-bar, and a pivotedWILLIAM E. MORRISON, bucket hinged to said cross-bar of the safety-JONATHAN HENDERSON.

